John Welby Merritt

John was one of five children who resided in Bryn Mawr until the family moved to Lakeridge in 1949. John graduated from Renton High School in 1957 where he excelled in multiple sports. In his senior year, he was selected as an All-conference center in basketball at 6’1”. John and a classmate, Dave Boyd, won the State Track & Field Championship by placing first in all three events they entered. And while John did not play football his final year, he received a scholarship to attend Western Washington College in Bellingham (now WWU), where he played football as a wide receiver.

Within a year after starting college, John married Joan Lotto and began working in the Lotto family grocery business. He later transitioned to driving a delivery truck for a bread company and restocked grocery store shelves part-time. After retiring as a truck driver John re-entered the labor market as a Metro bus driver, retiring from Metro several years ago with a bevy of entertaining stories.

John and Joan had four children, Kathy, Johnny, David, Maureen. They eventually divorced and both remarried. John wasn’t as successful in marriage as he was in athletics, but his fourth wife, Cynthia Bridston, presented him with a daughter, Alison. Alison and her husband, Kyle Stocking, live in Utah with their two sons and third child on the way.

John loved the outdoors, particularly fishing and hunting, traveling in his motorhome throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. He fulfilled a bucket list item by getting his pilot license, and occasionally helped his brother Don by delivering a golf cart fleet to area courses for special events. He played golf with friends and seldom missed a family event or class reunion. And while his life had its ups and downs, he always had a positive attitude until he suffered a devastating stroke in 2018. For a physical guy who always had an opinion, losing speech & dealing with paralysis was particularly frustrating. His family got pretty good at interpreting his hand miming, head nods, & wrinkled nose. His drawings were the worst, but he always had a laugh when we figured out what he drew.

John was preceded in death by his mother, Inez, father, Dale, and younger brother Donald. He is survived by two brothers, Roger and Alan Merritt, and sister Linda (Merritt) Sorenson, five children, seven grandchildren & one great grandchild.

John will always be remembered for his athletic prowess, competitiveness, fierce independence, and strong opinions. His family has missed his voice since 2018 and will sorely miss his physical presence as family patriarch.

John’s cremated remains will be interned at Greenwood Memorial Park & Funeral Home in Renton in a private service. Following the inurnment there will be a reception for family and friends at the Greenwood Memorial on April 1, 2022 from 11:00am – 1:00pm.